---
title: Opener
description: Open files and URLs in external applications.
plugin: opener
i18nReady: true
---

import PluginLinks from '@components/PluginLinks.astro';
import Compatibility from '@components/plugins/Compatibility.astro';

import { Tabs, TabItem, Steps } from '@astrojs/starlight/components';
import CommandTabs from '@components/CommandTabs.astro';
import PluginPermissions from '@components/PluginPermissions.astro';

<PluginLinks plugin={frontmatter.plugin} />

This plugin allows you to open files and URLs in a specified, or the default, application. It also supports "revealing" files in the system's file explorer.

## Supported Platforms

<Compatibility plugin={frontmatter.plugin} />

## Setup

Install the opener plugin to get started.

<Tabs>
	<TabItem label="Automatic" >
		Use your project's package manager to add the dependency:

    	{ ' ' }

    	<CommandTabs
            npm="npm run tauri add opener"
            yarn="yarn run tauri add opener"
            pnpm="pnpm tauri add opener"
            deno="deno task tauri add opener"
            bun="bun tauri add opener"
            cargo="cargo tauri add opener"
    	/>
    </TabItem>
    <TabItem label = "Manual">
    	<Steps>
          1. Run the following command in the `src-tauri` folder to add the plugin to the project's dependencies in `Cargo.toml`:

              ```sh frame=none
              cargo add tauri-plugin-opener
              ```

          2. Modify `lib.rs` to initialize the plugin:

              ```rust title="src-tauri/src/lib.rs" ins={4}
              #[cfg_attr(mobile, tauri::mobile_entry_point)]
              pub fn run() {
                  tauri::Builder::default()
                      .plugin(tauri_plugin_opener::init())
                      .run(tauri::generate_context!())
                      .expect("error while running tauri application");
              }
              ```

          3. Install the JavaScript Guest bindings using your preferred JavaScript package manager:

              <CommandTabs
                  npm = "npm install @tauri-apps/plugin-opener"
                  yarn = "yarn add @tauri-apps/plugin-opener"
                  pnpm = "pnpm add @tauri-apps/plugin-opener"
                  deno = "deno add npm:@tauri-apps/plugin-opener"
                  bun = "bun add @tauri-apps/plugin-opener"
              />
    	</Steps>
    </TabItem>

</Tabs>

## Usage

The opener plugin is available in both JavaScript and Rust.

<Tabs syncKey="lang">
	<TabItem label="JavaScript" >

```javascript
import { openPath, openUrl } from '@tauri-apps/plugin-opener';
// when using `"withGlobalTauri": true`, you may use
// const { openPath } = window.__TAURI__.opener;

// opens a file using the default program:
await openPath('/path/to/file');
// opens a file using `vlc` command on Windows:
await openPath('C:/path/to/file', 'vlc');
// opens a URL using the default program:
await openURL('https://tauri.app');
```

    </TabItem>
    <TabItem label = "Rust" >

Note that `app` is an instance of `App` or [`AppHandle`](https://docs.rs/tauri/2.0.0/tauri/struct.AppHandle.html).

```rust
use tauri_plugin_opener::OpenerExt;

// opens a file using the default program:
app.opener().open_path("/path/to/file", None::<&str>);
// opens a file using `vlc` command on Windows:
app.opener().open_path("C:/path/to/file", Some("vlc"));
// opens a URL using the default program:
app.opener().open_url("https://tauri.app", None::<&str>);
```

    </TabItem>

</Tabs>

## Permissions

By default all potentially dangerous plugin commands and scopes are blocked and cannot be accessed. You must modify the permissions in your `capabilities` configuration to enable these.

See the [Capabilities Overview](/security/capabilities/) for more information and the [step by step guide](/learn/security/using-plugin-permissions/) to use plugin permissions.

Below are two example scope configurations. Both `path` and `url` use the [glob pattern syntax](https://docs.rs/glob/latest/glob/struct.Pattern.html) to define allowed file paths and URLs.

First, an example on how to add permissions to specific paths for the `openPath()` function:

```json title="src-tauri/capabilities/default.json" ins={6-15}
{
  "$schema": "../gen/schemas/desktop-schema.json",
  "identifier": "main-capability",
  "description": "Capability for the main window",
  "windows": ["main"],
  "permissions": [
    {
      "identifier": "opener:allow-open-path",
      "allow": [
        {
          "path": "/path/to/file"
        },
        {
          "path": "$APPDATA/file"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

Lastly, an example on how to add permissions for the exact `https://tauri.app` URL and all URLs on a custom protocol (must be known to the OS) for the `openUrl()` function:

```json title="src-tauri/capabilities/default.json" ins={6-15}
{
  "$schema": "../gen/schemas/desktop-schema.json",
  "identifier": "main-capability",
  "description": "Capability for the main window",
  "windows": ["main"],
  "permissions": [
    {
      "identifier": "opener:allow-open-url",
      "allow": [
        {
          "url": "https://tauri.app"
        },
        {
          "url": "custom:*"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

<PluginPermissions plugin={frontmatter.plugin} />
